Even films heavy on pop culture appeal run into roadblocks finding investors and funding and an audience. Adding such a polarizing topic into the mix might seem like a death wish.

But that short was so successful, Robespierre expanded it into a full-length feature starring comedian Jenny Slate, who you might know from the f-bomb that got her fired off SNL or her " Marcel the Shell" Internet video, which has been viewed more than 22 million times. It’s called “Obvious Child” and has been winning rave reviews from top critics, earning a 91 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

After it premiered at Sundance, “Obvious Child” was acquired by the distribution company A24 for the low seven figures — one of the biggest deals of the entire festival, according to Deadline Hollywood.

"We loved the movie. It was as simple as that," said Nicole Aizenberg, head of publicity at A24. "The movie is so authentic and honest; we just wanted to stay true to it and accentuate Gil as an incredibly strong new voice and Jenny as a complete star."

That end result was a long time coming, though, and Robespierre tells me point blank that you cannot produce and direct full time when you’re starting out.

Most aspiring filmmakers don't have a corporate ladder to climb, and there's no entry-level position that leads to directing your own film. So many filmmakers have to pursue their creative visions as a side gig, until they finally break in.

Gina Hall is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer with more than 10 years experience in television, documentary and feature film production. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and blogs for the Huffington Post at huffingtonpost.com/gina-hall

Can a replenish the basics for busy parents concept apply to children’s apparel the way it did to diapers? Two moms who were marketing executives at Quidsi, parent of Diapers.com, are launching Primary.com to find out.

In business, we talk about the value of knowing who your stakeholders are and how they perceive the value provided by a business. We can use this same philosophy in planning our conversation when asking for a raise.